Do you know what I love about being the event emcee for a multi-day conference? You get to experience some of the best and brightest communicators in the game! Case in point, my most recent conference with PrideStaff in Atlanta, Georgia. Over three days, I was able to listen to four incredible keynote speakers, kickoff a first-timers’ reception, AND host a banquet ceremony!
To say we had an action-packed conference would be a total understatement. I was honored to join the PrideStaff team as their event emcee for the third year in a row — this year, pivoting from the virtual emcee to the live, in-person emcee at the PrideStaff Annual Conference (PAC) 2022 in Buckhead, Atlanta. Here’s a rundown of what went down behind the scenes at PAC 2022!
Why PrideStaff and I Bond Over Shared Client Experiences
At first glance, myself and PrideStaff are two entirely different entities. Me? I’m a professional event emcee and corporate entertainer with a 10-year run on the Las Vegas Strip. PrideStaff? They’re a top-rated local and national staffing agency that’s received ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Diamond Award eight years in a row. So, what client experiences could we possibly share?
Well, the PrideStaff mission is one that’s near and dear to my heart, “Consistently provide client experiences focused on what they value most.” For PrideStaff, that means understanding what matters to each individual client to better place professionals in work environments. For me, that means learning what matters to each client to create the most immersive, engaging experiences.
While the vehicle may be different, the destination is the same — pure client satisfaction. Unsurprisingly, PrideStaff is just as passionate about their mission as I am mine… so I was even able to hand out T-shirts to any PrideStaff team member who had the mission statement memorized and would say it on the mic! It’s safe to say A LOT of T-shirts were passed around that day!
How This Client Relationship Has Evolved Since 2020
The PrideStaff Annual Conference, dubbed PAC, is a recurring event where PrideStaff franchise owners throughout the country can come together to share best practices, network with one another, celebrate awards, and more. It’s crazy to think this is my third PAC with the PrideStaff crew, especially since the first was in-person February 2020 just days before the COVID shutdown!
While I loved being the event emcee for PAC 2020, it was no secret we would have to take the show digital in 2021 to safely gather franchise owners from around the nation. So, we took the show virtual that year, and my friends at Show Creators Studios produced the event while I served as the virtual emcee. It was a weird change, for sure, but I was glad to be a familiar face to the team!
This year, PAC 2022 was back in-person in Atlanta — a location I rarely attend as an event emcee, which made the whole event even more interesting. I loved feeling like I built rapport with the PrideStaff crew, who seemed pumped to see me back as their event emcee for the third year in a row, especially after we navigated the insanity that was 2021 virtual events together!
An Event Emcee with a Few Tricks (and More!) Up His Sleeve
At this year’s PrideStaff Annual Conference, I had not one, not two, but three spots to provide entertainment, as well as emcee the event and host the banquet ceremony. Thursday night kicked off with a first-timers’ reception, where I leveraged my favorite ice breaker — the GooseChase game! I preloaded the app on my iPad to effortlessly help first-time attendees become comfortable, get to know one another, and begin to network, an offering I recommend to each and every client.
Once Friday began, my hefty event emcee duties kicked in. The PAC 2022 event theme was In It to Win It, so naturally, I came equipped with a ton of Minute to Win It games to engage the audience. Friday morning, I brought up two first-timers I met the night before to compete in a rousing game of Over-Under, where my two competitors were loudly cheered on by their PrideStaff family.
[Insert production video here]
That evening, we played Moving On Up, a minute-long challenge game that saw two PrideStaff franchisees compete with stacks of plastic cups, and Separation Anxiety, where challengers had to separate a bag of M&M candies into different colored piles. Folks, the heat was on, but it definitely peaked Saturday night when I brought up two attendees to play Face the Cookie!
The audience simply could not stop laughing as two grown men struggled to get an Oreo cookie from their foreheads into their mouths without using their hands… there was even a standing ovation for the winner! Speaking of standing ovations, did I mention the awards banquet Saturday evening? Rather than opt for the traditional flow, myself and event producers totally switched it up.
Instead of putting me, the event emcee, smack dab in the middle of the stage, I chose to stay among the crowd while event executives stayed on stage to hand out actual awards. I would give all of the intros and awards descriptions, then the stage lights would brighten for the execs to announce the winners. This kept everyone comfortable and enhanced the flow of the event tenfold.
Keynote Speakers Who Captured the Attention in the Room
I have to give a major shout-out to Brittanny Kreutzer, partner at the Speaker Exchange Agency, for putting together another phenomenal speaker lineup for PrideStaff! Each day was loaded with both internal and external keynote speakers who were equal parts enlightening and entertaining. Take a look at the talented speakers myself and PrideStaff enjoyed at PAC 2022!
Tami Evans
Tami Evans is the keynote speaker you want to bring in to spark a positive change in your workplace. With a background that spans association president, corporate manager, and professional performer, Tami’s electrifying keynotes are educational with a comedic twist. Who wouldn’t want the person described as the “Human Exclamation Point” at their next event?!
Sarah Culberson
Sarah Culberson, more aptly known as Princess Sarah, is an author, humanitarian, and speaker with an absolutely incredible backstory. Adopted one year after her first birthday with little knowledge of her ancestry, Sarah traveled to Sierra Leone as an adult, where she learned where she was considered a mahaloi, the child of a Paramount Chief, with the status of a princess. Her charismatic and inclusive keynote was a true highlight of the conference!
Ryan Avery
Ryan Avery isn’t just your run-of-the-mill keynote speaker — he’s the youngest World Champion of Public Speaking in history! Since then, he’s broken numerous world records, written two best-selling books, and speaks to corporations about leadership, mentorship, and goal-setting. If you want a true standout speaker for your next conference, Ryan is your guy!
Dr. Simon T. Bailey
Dr. Simon T. Bailey is simply a breath of fresh air for industry events and corporate conferences. His accolades extend from keynote speaker and success coach to philanthropist and television host, and he is (to steal a word from his vocabulary!) brilliant. Simon has worked with over 2,000 companies in 50 different countries to help them find their brilliance and is an absolute joy to listen to.
Delight Your Audience with an Event Emcee
What’s the beauty of working with an event emcee like me, Jeff Civillico? I always have tricks like icebreaker games or engagement pieces up my sleeve — and every single one can be completely customized to match your event theme! From Level Up and Game On to In It to Win It, I can pivot my interactive games to be cohesive with your company branding, mission statement, or theme.
I had a total blast customizing fun Minute to Win It games for the PrideStaff team at the PrideStaff Annual Conference 2022, and hope to join them in 2023 when they hit my home turf of Las Vegas! Will you be planning an annual conference, team meeting, or similar corporate event? Chances are, you need an event emcee, too! Send me a booking inquiry to learn more today.
